The New Jazz Musings

Paul Bley was an important activist and musician in the Free Jazz movement, playing in some pivotal groups. He was a key player in the 1964 October Revolution, and founder of the Jazz Composers Guild. He also became an important proponent of improvised synthesiser music in the early 1970s. The New Jazz Musings - The Jazz Composers Guild AN INTRODUCTION BY KEITH KNOX PAUL BLEY was born on November 10th, 1932, in Montreal, Quebec and commenced his music studies early, playing violin at five and piano at the age of eight. When eleven he obtained a junior music diploma from the McGill Conservatory. At high school he led his own school band, but his first professional job came in 1945 when he took a quartet into the Chalet Hotel, Montreal, for a residency lasting some three years. In 1949, when Oscar Peterson left Canada for the U.S.A. and eventual fame, Paul Bley took over Peterson’s abandoned bassist and drummer, Ozzie Roberts and Clarence Jones, to form a highly successful cockta...

The Jazz Composers Guild Following a series of Avant-Garde jazz concerts at NYC's Cellar Cafe (The October Revolution) in 1964, trumpeter and composer Bill Dixon sought to improve the working conditions of Jazz musicians, whom he felt were being exploited by venues and record labels. Further discussions, initially with Cecil Taylor, led to the creation of the Jazz Composers Guild in 1965. Members included Bill Dixon, Sun Ra, Paul Bley, Roswell Rudd, Carla Bley, Mike Mantler, Cecil Taylor, John Tchicai and Archie Shepp. Ascension Recording. Archie Shepp (Left) During its short run, the Jazz Composers Guild experienced tension with other political groups including with Amiri Baraka. Bill Dixon faced defending the Guild due to its inclusion of white musicians. He agreed that white musicians were treated better, but not by much. Ascension Recording. John Tchicai (Centre) John Coltrane's Ascension recording in 1965 included members of the Guild, Archie Shepp and...